


Eyes on the Tower

by rileywrites



Series: Bridge, Tower, Table [2]
Category: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
Genre: Mentions of Canonical Character Death, Mid-Canon, Missing Scene, Multi, gendefluid Kay, the caves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 10:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rileywrites/pseuds/rileywrites
Summary: Blue hugs his neck tightly, face tucked in Arthur's hair. He sighs, and steps back."Boss, I love the girls but they get crazy." Blue shakes his head. "You're okay, right?""I'm just fine, Blue. I've handled worse." Lie. "I just need some time to heal, is all."Blue narrows his eyes, and for a moment he looks so much like Anna it hurts.





	Eyes on the Tower

**Author's Note:**

> Timeline: Arthur is four when Camelot falls. Arthur is twenty-six when he pulls the sword from the stone.

Vortigern's Rule, Year Twenty-two

...

When Arthur gets back from the Darklands, the girls descend upon him like a flock of concerned hens. Between the lot of them, his wounds get clean, his bandages are changed, he gets food and drink into his body, and a blanket ends up around his shoulders.

He gets a hug from each of them in turn, taking special care with Lily.

"Don't worry about me," she whispers. "I'm just fine. The Mage took care of me."

He kisses her softly, holding her close for a long moment.

"Did Maria make it out?"

"She did, but she broke her ankle. She's sleeping now, cause the herbs the Mage gives her for the pain are strong. You can go see her when she wakes, okay?"

The Mage stands back and watches, shaking her head at him. He just winks at her and lets them fuss.

His heart is aching, Lucy's absence sharp and painful. Helena, Lily, and Kay are some of his favorite people in the world, but Lucy was his.

Eventually, he has to dismiss the girls before they fuss themselves into a frenzy. The Mage disappears again without a word.

Backlack, Wet Stick, and Blue come in once the coast is clear.

Blue hugs his neck tightly, face tucked in Arthur's hair. He sighs, and steps back.

"Boss, I love the girls but they get crazy." Blue shakes his head. "You're okay, right?"

"I'm just fine, Blue. I've handled worse." Lie. "I just need some time to heal, is all."

Blue narrows his eyes, and for a moment he looks so much like Anna it hurts.

"Okay. You'll tell us if it gets bad, right? The Mage can make something to make you stop hurting, because she said she can, and she made something to make Lily's cramps stop when she was here last, and she's given Maria some kind of tea and--"

"Oi! Blue, shut up, Christ. Art just got back, don't talk his bloody ears off." Backlack frowns, and Blue ducks his head.

"Sorry, Boss."

"You can tell me later, Blue." Arthur holds Excalibur out. "Polish this for me, would ya?"

Blue's eyes bug out of his head, and he takes it carefully. "Really?!"

"Really."

"Yes, boss! I'll get it right back to you." Blue goes to leave, but Arthur stops him.

"And if you could get me a beer?"

"Sure!"

...

Arthur is still sore from the Darklands when Lack finally shows up in his bed for the first time in over a week. He's quiet, tucked between Art and the cave wall.

"The girls told us about Lucy. I'm sorry, Art. If I'd known, I could have-"

Arthur kisses him to shut him up. "None of us knew, okay? It's no ones fault but Vortigern's. No one could have known."

"I should have kept her safe. It's my job to keep your girls safe."

"You survived. Blue survived. The other girls, Wet Stick, everyone is here, safe." Arthur hugs him close. "That's all I'd ever ask, okay? I'll never ask for more than you can give."

Back Lack falls asleep long before Arthur does, exhausted from the journey and the planning and sinking the boats and keeping the crew safe.

Blue joins them later, rubbing sleepily at his eyes and dragging a blanket after him. Sometimes Art forgets just how fucking young Blue is.

"Can't sleep, boss. Is m' Da in there wif ya?"

"He is." Arthur shoves over until Lack rolls to the side. "C'mon, kid. I've got room."

Blue crawls in next to him, and he's asleep in moments.

"Anna, I'm doing my best," Arthur tells the ceiling. "I'm doing my best to keep our boys safe."

...

"I've got to get out of these fucking caves. I'm going for a ride before I go stir crazy." Arthur tugs on his coat. "Men weren't made to stay still all day."

They keep the horses in a cavern near the entrance, and Arthur has Zeus half-saddled when Kay appears in the doorway.

"Can I ride with you, boss?"

"Sure. Saddle up."

They ride for a while in silence, before Kay finally breaks it.

"What happens when we win, Art? What will you do?"

"I'll get Wet Stick and Lack and Percy and the lot properly knighted, work on building my order properly so I've got the advisors I need. After that, fuck if I know. I've got more than twenty years of mismanagement to remedy." Arthur looks over at her. "You interested in helping officially, Kay? It's not going to be an easy fight."

"I don't expect it to be, boss. If you'll have me for a knight, I am at your service." Kay smiles. "Sir Kay. I like the sound of that."

"Sir Kay it is, then. The moment I get the power, you're one of my knights. We'll get you kitted out proper. For now, you're one of my advisors."

"I'm a Kay of many talents." Kay pauses, hums. "I have an idea for the next step to lure Vortigern out. I've been in contact with the brandy-seller. I want to be in the meeting tonight, and the other girls. We're part of this fight, too."

"Absolutely. Without question." Arthur smiles. "Welcome to the crew."

"Thanks, boss."

The Mage is waiting for them at the mouth of the cave when they get back, looking at them with her usual inscrutable gaze. 

"The girls will be in the meeting today. Kay has an idea." Arthur pauses, smiles. "I'm adding her to the order."

If Arthur didn't know better, he'd say the Mage looks pleased

....

Bedivere takes his time responding to Arthur's advances. It doesn't take Arthur long to realize that if he wants something with Bedivere, Bill is part and parcel.

One of the rebels has a fiddle, and after the brandy incident, everyone dances. Arthur pulls a protesting Bill into the circle.

"I'm old, I don't dance."

"You're not old, mate. You're just older." Arthur squeezes his hand and grins. "Grey hair is distinguished, I think. Adds to the appeal."

Bill laughs, stumbling over his feet as the circle changes directions, whirling around the fire.

"Don't flatter me, my king. A man might get the wrong idea."

"I meant every word."

Bill stares at him, nearly falling over himself in the process.

Bill and Bedivere join him that night for the first time, with promises that it won't be the last.

...

George gently cleans Arthur's latest wound from training, a gash on the back of his head from trying to use Excalibur two-handed. Once the wound is clean, he bandages it carefully.

"I coulda gotten Lily to do this, or Maria, or literally anyone else," Arthur points out.

George shushes him, pressing a soft kiss to his neck once the bandage is secure.

"Let me be gentle with you, for once. I'm never gentle with you."

"You're a kung fu master, George. Gentle isn't the point of you."

"I can be plenty gentle, Arthur. You just don't like men to be gentle with you." George wraps his arms around Arthur's waist, and Arthur leans back into the embrace. "You can pause, just for a minute. You can rest."

"I'll rest when Vortigern is dead."

"You'll never see it, if you wear yourself out." George nuzzles his neck. "Come, lie down for a while. I'll wake you before dinner, to check your head."

Arthur agrees with a grumble, but it's all show. The blackout and head injury have left him exhausted. George makes to leave, but Arthur grabs his arm.

"Stay? I don't... I don't want to dream." He looks so young, a little lost.

George slides over him and tucks in beside him. Arthur settles against his chest, heaving a deep sigh as sleep takes over.

...

Blue sleeps in Arthur's bed the night after Lack dies. Arthur can't sleep at all.

He can't stay at the cave, can't face the orphan of his best mate and best girl if he wakes, can't keep pretending he knows what the fuck is going on.

Arthur stares at the sword for a long moment, snatches it up, and starts running. 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not great at tagging. Y'all let me know if I missed anything important.


End file.
